Lazio moves on gender wage parity, 1st region in Italy

(ANSA) - ROME, MAR 22 - Lazio, the region around Rome, has become the first Italian region to t able a bill on wage parity between genders.
    The bill, which also aims to boost female employment levels, was presented in the regional assembly Monday by gender parity committee chair Eleonora Mattia.
    She said: "we are the first region in Italy to put down in black and white that there is a problem with women's work, and to table concrete solutions".
    She cited "professionals who get up every day and know that their voice will be taken less seriously, and others who know that jobs will systematically go a man, even if he is less qualified." Region assembly deputy chair Daniele Leodori said "gender parity must be on the top of the political agenda.
    "This is explained by a few data.
    "In December ISTAT said that out of a total of 101,000 jobs lost in the whole country in 2020, 99,000 were by women and only 2,000 by men.
    "And a woman in a prive company in Italy earns eight out of ten when a man earns 10 out of 10 for the same job.
    "It is unacceptable".
    Successive Italian governments have passed laws aiming to close the gender pay gap.
    But the problem remains endemic, especially in lower paid sectors. (ANSA).